© Lorine McGinnis Schulze
Ellis Island existed as a processing station for Immigrants entering New York from 1 Jan. 1892 to 14 june 1897 and again from 17 Dec. 1900 to 1924. From 15 June 1897 to 16 Dec. 1900 the processing station was the Barge Office. Luckily for those whose ancestors entered through Ellis Island, there is an online searchable database. Read on for some tips on using this database and finding an ancestor!
Question:
Help! I keep getting the wrong passenger list on the Ellis Island database! How do I see the right passenger list??
Example:
I search for Theo Davis sailing in 1893. Bingo! A hit! But there's a problen.... the text version shows Theo H. Davis on line 0033 ; when I go into the scanned manifest, it also indicates that he is on line 0033. However, when I click on the icon to magnify the scanned manifest, there are two entirely different people on these lines; in looking at the text manifest, none of the people listed on the text manifest are the same as the people with the corresponding numbers on the scanned manifest.
Lorine's Answer:
This is one of the missing manifests on the Ellis Island database.
You can see from the online manifest that the one that is linked is for the Germanic. According to the text version and the index entry your Theo H Davis sailed on the Teutonic on March 2, 1893. That means this is one of many manifests on Ellis Island Database that is linked incorrectly.
Your next step is to go to Steve Morse's One-Step Ellis Island Search Engine at http://www.stevemorse.org/
Choose MISSING MANIFESTS. Let the page load.
Type in your desired date (Mar 2, 1893) A Reel no. automatically comes up and you are on Frame 1. You can see that this reel goes from Frame 1-756. Look back at the date you entered - it has, in this case, *changed* to Feb 13, 1893 so you know that this reel begins with that date (Feb 13, 1893)
Okay, type in the page number given for Theo (50) in the FRAME field. Hit DISPLAY. You will quickly see that the *wrong* manifest comes up. Now you have the fun of playing around with the frame numbers til you find the date/ship you want.
Ships are on the reel in chronological order, think of this as scrolling through a microfilm reel only you can do it in the comfort of your home.
I put in 500 as the frame I wanted to see next. It's a guessing game, start with anything you think reasonable, you are looking for the first page of ANY ship, for that will give you a date and ship name. From there you will jump AHEAD or go BACK til you are at the date you want.
500 takes you to La Bretagne sailing on 6 March 1893. Close but no cigar... so let's try frame 400. Try it. It takes you to SS Saratoga sailing on 1 March 1893. Getting closer, now you know you have to work *forward* between frames 400 and 500 for your ship. One more from me and then you're on your own - I tried frame 450 and got London sailing on March 3!
Now you know you need to start at frame 450 and work your way in both directions til you find the ship Teutonic.
Have fun! And if you are ever looking for other ships to NY and want to try online lists, use these URLs:
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/filmnos_newyork.shtml NARA & FHC film numbers for NY passenger lists after 1820
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/tousa_ny.shtml Passenger Lists to New York all years
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/searchnyships.shtml Search Engine for online Internet Passenger Lists to NY
This question, and Lorine's answer, appeared on the ELLIS-ISLAND-L mailing list (ELLIS-ISLAND-L@rootsweb.com) on Feb. 15, 2004. The person asking was able to find what she wanted by following these instructions. You can do the same thing for any manifest you need to find. Good luck!
Permission granted to distribute this article as long as nothing is changed, and all identifying information and URLs remain. Be sure to include the following footer:
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Ellis Island & Missing Manifests, an explanation by Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy at http://olivetreegenealogy.com/
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Updates about Olive Tree Genealogy website and other FREE genealogy records. Bringing you tutorials, genealogy book and app reviews, genealogy news, genealogy specials and more. Helping you find your family tree and ancestors.
February 24, 2004
February 15, 2004
Emigrants from England to USA 1773-1776
Are you looking for English ancestors in the time period before passenger lists were kept?
I have an index to Surnames of Emigrants from England to USA 1773 to 1776 now available at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ships/
Surnames A start at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ships/english1773-76a.htm
There are a total of 1,814 names (Surnames A to G) online, with the rest following as quickly as I can transcribe them. When complete there will be over 6,000 names for you to search.
Remember that this is an INDEX to names along with page numbers for reference.
After finding an ancestor in the index, you will need to obtain the full record on microfilm or in published books. Instructions are given online as to how to do this.
Enjoy!
I have an index to Surnames of Emigrants from England to USA 1773 to 1776 now available at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ships/
Surnames A start at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ships/english1773-76a.htm
There are a total of 1,814 names (Surnames A to G) online, with the rest following as quickly as I can transcribe them. When complete there will be over 6,000 names for you to search.
Remember that this is an INDEX to names along with page numbers for reference.
After finding an ancestor in the index, you will need to obtain the full record on microfilm or in published books. Instructions are given online as to how to do this.
Enjoy!
January 13, 2004
1890 Census Substitute - Shareholders Names N. America
Recently I found an old book called "Report of the Superintendent of Insurance of the Dominion of Canada for the Year Ending 31st December 1890"
The book was published in 1891 in Ottawa, and included in its pages are approximately 60 pages of names of shareholders and guarantors for various Insurance and Assurance Companies across Canada & USA.
The date for the list of names is 1890 and the wonderful thing about these is that they include people from all over Canada, as well as USA and Europe.
Each individual has a residence listed, in some cases, an actual street address. What really intrigued me about these lists was that the shareholders' residences included such places as:
Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Scotland, New York, Quebec, Vermont, Pennsylvania, NWT, England, Illinois, India, Newfoundland, Manitoba, Cape Breton, Jamaica, Ireland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Massachussets, Minnesota, Ohio, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Channel Islands, France and Wales. (I may have missed a few locations)
These lists can be used to verify that an individual lived in a certain place in 1890. They also contain quite a bit of detail for some entries, which are terrific clues for further research. Here's a few examples:
One listing is for "Edward Rawlings, Montreal" and under his name, labelled as "in trust" are the names Miss A L Rawlings, Miss E M Rawlings, Miss KNB Rawlings, George W Rawlings, HEA Rawlings, and WT Rawlings
Beside Edward's name is his number of shares in the Guarantee Company of North America - 4645, amount subscribed for 232,250, paid in cash 52,610. His children are noted as to their number of shares, amount subscribed for and amount paid up in cash - each child except Miss AL has 5 shares, 250 subscribed for and 250 paid in cash. Miss AL has 6 shares, 300 subscribed for and 300 paid in cash.
It occurred to me that this entry meant that Edward had died, and the rest of the names were his heirs, most likely his children, given the words "in trust". So I checked the online 1881 census at http://familysearch.org/ and found Edward and his family living in Montreal (Ste Antoine Ward)
They were:
This gives you some idea of the usefulness of this book Thanks to some wonderful volunteer transcribers I am able to bring these names to you. I hope you enjoy these names, and that you find an ancestor or two.
You can start your search in these lists of names at http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/canada/shareholders.htm
Scroll down the page to choose from the following:
Enjoy this free database, and please feel free to pass this message on to anyone you think might be interested.
The book was published in 1891 in Ottawa, and included in its pages are approximately 60 pages of names of shareholders and guarantors for various Insurance and Assurance Companies across Canada & USA.
The date for the list of names is 1890 and the wonderful thing about these is that they include people from all over Canada, as well as USA and Europe.
Each individual has a residence listed, in some cases, an actual street address. What really intrigued me about these lists was that the shareholders' residences included such places as:
Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Scotland, New York, Quebec, Vermont, Pennsylvania, NWT, England, Illinois, India, Newfoundland, Manitoba, Cape Breton, Jamaica, Ireland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Massachussets, Minnesota, Ohio, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Channel Islands, France and Wales. (I may have missed a few locations)
These lists can be used to verify that an individual lived in a certain place in 1890. They also contain quite a bit of detail for some entries, which are terrific clues for further research. Here's a few examples:
One listing is for "Edward Rawlings, Montreal" and under his name, labelled as "in trust" are the names Miss A L Rawlings, Miss E M Rawlings, Miss KNB Rawlings, George W Rawlings, HEA Rawlings, and WT Rawlings
Beside Edward's name is his number of shares in the Guarantee Company of North America - 4645, amount subscribed for 232,250, paid in cash 52,610. His children are noted as to their number of shares, amount subscribed for and amount paid up in cash - each child except Miss AL has 5 shares, 250 subscribed for and 250 paid in cash. Miss AL has 6 shares, 300 subscribed for and 300 paid in cash.
It occurred to me that this entry meant that Edward had died, and the rest of the names were his heirs, most likely his children, given the words "in trust". So I checked the online 1881 census at http://familysearch.org/ and found Edward and his family living in Montreal (Ste Antoine Ward)
They were:
- Edward Rawlings b England, 41
- Lucinda Rawlings b Ire. 39
- Lucinda Rawlings b Que. 12 [Miss A L from the book?]
- George Rawlings b Que 8 [George W from the book]
- Henry Rawlings b Que 5 [HEA from the book?]
- Walter Rawlings b Que 4 [WT from the book?]
- Edith Rawlings b Que 2 [Miss EM from the book?]
- daughter, b. Feb. 1881 [probably Miss KNB from the book]
This gives you some idea of the usefulness of this book Thanks to some wonderful volunteer transcribers I am able to bring these names to you. I hope you enjoy these names, and that you find an ancestor or two.
You can start your search in these lists of names at http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/canada/shareholders.htm
Scroll down the page to choose from the following:
- The Accident Insurance Company of North America (List of Shareholders)
- The Boiler Inspection & Insurance Company of Canada (List of Shareholders)
- British America Assurance Company (List of Shareholders)
- Canada Accident Insurance Company (List of Shareholders)
- The Canada Life Assurance Company (List of Shareholders)
- The Citizens' Insurance Company of Canada (List of Shareholders)
- Confederation Life Association (List of Shareholders)
- The Dominion Life Assurance Company (List of Shareholders)
- Dominion Safety Fund Life Association (List of Stockholders)
- Dominion Plate Glass Insurance Company (List of Stockholders)
- Eastern Assurance Company of Canada (List of Shareholders)
- Federal Life Assurance Company (List of Shareholders)
- Guarantee Company of North America (List of Shareholders)
- London Life Insurance Company (List of Shareholders)
- Manufacturers' Accident Insurance Company (List of Stockholders)
- Manufacturers LIfe Insurance Company (List of Shareholders)
- North American Life Assurance Company (List of Guarantors)
- Quebec Fire Assurance Company (List of Stockholders)
- Royal Canadian Insurance Company (List of Stockholders)
- Sun Life Insurance Company (List of Shareholders)
- The Temperance and General Life Assurance Company (list of Guarantors)
- Western Assurance Company (List of Shareholders)
Enjoy this free database, and please feel free to pass this message on to anyone you think might be interested.
December 30, 2003
Almshouse Records New York City, 1819-1844
In the early 1800's port cities in the USA bore the burden of immigration. By the time they arrived, so many immigrants were tired, hungry and poor they ended up in the City Almshouse.
As far back as the colonial era, New York City assumed responsibility for its citizens who were destitute, sick, homeless, or otherwise unable to care for themselves. The city maintained an almshouse, various hospitals, and a workhouse on Blackwell's Island (now called Roosevelt Island) for the poor.
Part of the information taken Almshouse clerks was the place of birth of each person, the name of the ship they arrived on and where the ship sailed from. Using this online (free) database will allow you to find individuals from many countries and many states within USA.
I have just uploaded new records for NY City Almshouse for 1826 and 1827. This adds to the existing records on Olive Tree Genealogy for 1819, 1820, 1821, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1855,1856,1857 and 1858. When this project is finished the records will be complete from 1819-1844 and 1855-1858
1826 Almshouse Registers
There are 180 individuals listed in the 1826 Alms House Registers, along with the following ships they sailed on:
Albion, Ann, Ann Marie, Atlantic, Baltic, Barcelona, Bimmahome?, Boston, Bowditch, Camillons, Carolina Ann, Catherine, Chesapeake, Cincinnatus ,Combine ,Comhand?, Compeer, Constitution, Courier, Cuba, Danube, Diana, Dublin Packet, Edward Bonasse, General Putnam, Gulorace?Gulosase?, Henry, Hibernian, Howard, Hunter, Huskinson, Isaac[illegible], James Cegzar, John & Elizabeth, John & James, Lady Hunter, Laurel, Leonidas, Lord Strangford, Louisa, Maine, Margaret, Orizambo, Panther, Phoenix , Plutarch, Remittance, Reunion, Richmond, Sabina, Salidas , Silas Richmond, Splendid,Superior, Sylvester Haley, Thames, Thompson, Tontine, Two Mary's, United States, Virginia, William, Wilson, Zenophon
Of the 180 individuals listed, 125 were from Ireland.
1827 Almshouse Registers
There are 270 individuals listed with the following ship names in the 1827 Alms House Admission Records:
Albion, Alicia, Amelia, American, Ann Marie, Atlantic, Aurora, Baltic, Blakely, Borneo, Brighton, Brittania, Candis, Carleton, Carolina Ann, Clover, Compeer, Concordia, Constitution, Cortes, Courier, Curlew, Dalhousie Castle,Dancer, Danish Iris, Diana, Dublin Packet, Edward, Edward Bonasse, Eliza, Eliza Baker, Emulous, Fame, Fenwick, Francis Henrietta, Franklin, Ganges, Garland, Gen. Putnam, Gentile, George Clinton, Gridley , Hamilton, Hector, Henrietta, Henry Freeland? Kneeland?, Holbert, Hope & Easter, Hudson, Hunter, India, Ivory, James & Margaret, Java, Jno (John) & Elizabeth, John Adams, Jubilee, Lady Henrietta, Lady Hunter, Lady Wellington, Lark, Leeds, Liverpool,Lord Wellington, Louisa, Lydia, Main, Manchester, Margaret Boyle, Martha , Mary, Mary Howland, Meteor, Michaels, Nelson? Wilson?, New England, New Hampshire, New Orleans, Newry, Peru, Plutarch , Princess Charlotte, Robert Edwards, Robert Fulton, Roman, Sarah George, Silvanus Genkins, St Michael, St. Croix, St. Nichady, Thomas, Thomas & William, Thompson, Torn? Tom?, Traveler, Trident, Trio, Union, Venus, Virginia, Westmoreland, William, William & George, William Byrnes, William Dawson, Wilson, Wm. H. Pantheon
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/ny_alms1827.shtml
Of the 270 individuals listed, 201 were from Ireland.
Places of birth for these years were "at sea", Canada,England, France, Germany, Glascow, Ireland, Liverpool, London, Long Island, Massachusetts, New York, Newry, Quebec, Sag Harbour, Scotland, St Johns NB, Switzerland, Virginia and Wales
Ports of departure were Belfast, Bremen ,Cork, Dublin,Dundee,Easport, Galway, Greenock, Halifax NS, Havre, Jamaica, Liverpool,London, Londonderry, Marseilles, New Castle, New Haven, Newry, Porto Cabello, Savannah, Sligo, Richmond, Rotterdam ,Sligo, Newfoundland, St. Johns N.B.
As far back as the colonial era, New York City assumed responsibility for its citizens who were destitute, sick, homeless, or otherwise unable to care for themselves. The city maintained an almshouse, various hospitals, and a workhouse on Blackwell's Island (now called Roosevelt Island) for the poor.
Part of the information taken Almshouse clerks was the place of birth of each person, the name of the ship they arrived on and where the ship sailed from. Using this online (free) database will allow you to find individuals from many countries and many states within USA.
I have just uploaded new records for NY City Almshouse for 1826 and 1827. This adds to the existing records on Olive Tree Genealogy for 1819, 1820, 1821, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1855,1856,1857 and 1858. When this project is finished the records will be complete from 1819-1844 and 1855-1858
1826 Almshouse Registers
There are 180 individuals listed in the 1826 Alms House Registers, along with the following ships they sailed on:
Albion, Ann, Ann Marie, Atlantic, Baltic, Barcelona, Bimmahome?, Boston, Bowditch, Camillons, Carolina Ann, Catherine, Chesapeake, Cincinnatus ,Combine ,Comhand?, Compeer, Constitution, Courier, Cuba, Danube, Diana, Dublin Packet, Edward Bonasse, General Putnam, Gulorace?Gulosase?, Henry, Hibernian, Howard, Hunter, Huskinson, Isaac[illegible], James Cegzar, John & Elizabeth, John & James, Lady Hunter, Laurel, Leonidas, Lord Strangford, Louisa, Maine, Margaret, Orizambo, Panther, Phoenix , Plutarch, Remittance, Reunion, Richmond, Sabina, Salidas , Silas Richmond, Splendid,Superior, Sylvester Haley, Thames, Thompson, Tontine, Two Mary's, United States, Virginia, William, Wilson, Zenophon
Of the 180 individuals listed, 125 were from Ireland.
1827 Almshouse Registers
There are 270 individuals listed with the following ship names in the 1827 Alms House Admission Records:
Albion, Alicia, Amelia, American, Ann Marie, Atlantic, Aurora, Baltic, Blakely, Borneo, Brighton, Brittania, Candis, Carleton, Carolina Ann, Clover, Compeer, Concordia, Constitution, Cortes, Courier, Curlew, Dalhousie Castle,Dancer, Danish Iris, Diana, Dublin Packet, Edward, Edward Bonasse, Eliza, Eliza Baker, Emulous, Fame, Fenwick, Francis Henrietta, Franklin, Ganges, Garland, Gen. Putnam, Gentile, George Clinton, Gridley , Hamilton, Hector, Henrietta, Henry Freeland? Kneeland?, Holbert, Hope & Easter, Hudson, Hunter, India, Ivory, James & Margaret, Java, Jno (John) & Elizabeth, John Adams, Jubilee, Lady Henrietta, Lady Hunter, Lady Wellington, Lark, Leeds, Liverpool,Lord Wellington, Louisa, Lydia, Main, Manchester, Margaret Boyle, Martha , Mary, Mary Howland, Meteor, Michaels, Nelson? Wilson?, New England, New Hampshire, New Orleans, Newry, Peru, Plutarch , Princess Charlotte, Robert Edwards, Robert Fulton, Roman, Sarah George, Silvanus Genkins, St Michael, St. Croix, St. Nichady, Thomas, Thomas & William, Thompson, Torn? Tom?, Traveler, Trident, Trio, Union, Venus, Virginia, Westmoreland, William, William & George, William Byrnes, William Dawson, Wilson, Wm. H. Pantheon
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/ny_alms1827.shtml
Of the 270 individuals listed, 201 were from Ireland.
Places of birth for these years were "at sea", Canada,England, France, Germany, Glascow, Ireland, Liverpool, London, Long Island, Massachusetts, New York, Newry, Quebec, Sag Harbour, Scotland, St Johns NB, Switzerland, Virginia and Wales
Ports of departure were Belfast, Bremen ,Cork, Dublin,Dundee,Easport, Galway, Greenock, Halifax NS, Havre, Jamaica, Liverpool,London, Londonderry, Marseilles, New Castle, New Haven, Newry, Porto Cabello, Savannah, Sligo, Richmond, Rotterdam ,Sligo, Newfoundland, St. Johns N.B.
November 9, 2003
Register of Passports 1834-1843
Passport applications are often a valuable source of genealogical information. NARA has passport applications from October 1795-March 1925. The U. S. Department of State has passport applications from April 1925 to the present.
Some immigrants applied for passports to return home to visit family or friends. These records usually give a place of birth or at least the destination (which is often the home town)
I have a Register of Passports 1834-1843 for all states at
http://naturalizationrecords.com/usa/passports1834_a.shtml
The index to Passport Records and an explanation of Passport Records as a research tool is at
http://naturalizationrecords.com/usa/passports.shtml
You can pass this message on to anyone you think might be interested, and if you find an ancestor on any of my projects please let me know!
Some immigrants applied for passports to return home to visit family or friends. These records usually give a place of birth or at least the destination (which is often the home town)
I have a Register of Passports 1834-1843 for all states at
http://naturalizationrecords.com/usa/passports1834_a.shtml
The index to Passport Records and an explanation of Passport Records as a research tool is at
http://naturalizationrecords.com/usa/passports.shtml
You can pass this message on to anyone you think might be interested, and if you find an ancestor on any of my projects please let me know!
October 9, 2003
Finding Ancestors in Ontario Land Records
Land records are very useful research tools. Often they provide wive's first and maiden names, children's names, information as to origin, and even wills!
Originally all land in Ontario belonged to the Crown. Although there were small areas of settlement in 1763 after the British took over, major settlement of Upper Canada began in 1783 and utilized Crown Grants.
Up to 1826 free land grants were available to all settlers, to government favourites, and to UEL children. In 1826 these free grants were abolished except Loyalist grants and soldiers, and anyone wanting Crown land had to buy it.
There were two types of land petitions:
Settlers could also buy lands from the Canada Company, a private company owning all of the Huron District. These records are held at the Archives of Ontario. All land sales after the initial Crown grant were registered with local land registry offices.
Procedures for granting Crown Land changed constantly but could involve:
Other Resources for Land Records
More details on Land Records in Upper Canada (aka Canada West and present day Ontario) as well as links to online searchable databases for land is available at http://olivetreegenealogy.com/can/ont/land.shtml
Originally all land in Ontario belonged to the Crown. Although there were small areas of settlement in 1763 after the British took over, major settlement of Upper Canada began in 1783 and utilized Crown Grants.
Up to 1826 free land grants were available to all settlers, to government favourites, and to UEL children. In 1826 these free grants were abolished except Loyalist grants and soldiers, and anyone wanting Crown land had to buy it.
There were two types of land petitions:
- pre 1827 petitions for free grants of land under the UEL and military categories
- post 1827 petitions for purchase of Crown lands
Settlers could also buy lands from the Canada Company, a private company owning all of the Huron District. These records are held at the Archives of Ontario. All land sales after the initial Crown grant were registered with local land registry offices.
Procedures for granting Crown Land changed constantly but could involve:
- The settler's initial Petition to the Crown for land
- An Order-in-Council from a federal Land Board granting their request
- A Warrant from Ontario's Attorney General ordering the surveying of a lot
- The Fiat from Ontario Surveyor General authorizing a grant of the surveyed lot
- A Location Ticket permitting the settler to reside on the lot
- The Patent transferring ownership of the lot from the Crown to the settler.
Other Resources for Land Records
- Upper Canada Land Petitions and Land Books 1793-1826 [NA RG 1, L3 and RG1, E1] or indexes on C-10810 to C10836 on microfilm at the Ontario Archives or NAC.
- Loyalist Claims and Conversion List [NA MG14] 1790-1837 - Audit Office 12 and 13 compensation claims for land and goods lost during the American Revolution - 178 reels of microfilm
- CLRI (Computerized Land Records Index) aka Ontario Land Record Index, summarizes land grants from sales of Crown Land, from Canada Company sales or leases and from Peter Robinson settlers' grants. If your ancestor settled anywhere in Ontario and he was the first time buyer of Crown Land, he will be on these lists. I offer a lookup service for the CLRI.
More details on Land Records in Upper Canada (aka Canada West and present day Ontario) as well as links to online searchable databases for land is available at http://olivetreegenealogy.com/can/ont/land.shtml
July 9, 2003
Immigration to USA After 1820
Between 1820 and 1920, 35 million immigrants arrived in the USA, the majority of them at the port of New York. To search for an existing list you need to know your ancestor's name, approximate date of arrival, approximate age at arrival and port of arrival.
If your ancestor arrived after 1819, he may be listed in any of the following
Customs Passenger lists begin in 1820. A passenger list will usually provide you with name, age, sex, occupation, country of origin, port of departure, destination, date of arrival and name of the ship.
Immigration Lists (Ships' Manifests) after 1883 give more detailed information.
The National Archives has the customs and immigration passenger lists and indexes from 1820 to the 1950s. You can request a search of the records at the National Archives http://www.nara.gov/ with form NATF 81. You must submit one form each person or family group traveling together. You can obtain the NATF Form 81 by providing your name and mailing address to inquire@nara.gov. Specify "Form 81" and the number of forms you need.
The Family History Library in Salt Lake City has microfilmed copies of passenger arrival records and indexes from the National Archives. If you find your ancestors in any of the indexes you should then consult the original passenger lists.
Indexes for which are microfilmed and available through your local FHC are:
New York
1820-1846 FHL computer number 15681
1897-1902 FHL computer number 92040
1902-1943 FHL computer number 92040
Boston
1848-1891 FHL computer number 217426
1899-1940 FHL computer number 92077
Baltimore
1820-1897 FHL computer number 218234
1897-1952 FHL computer number 175219
1833-1866 FHL computer number 175226
Philadelphia
1800-1906 FHL computer number 216604
1883-1948 FHL computer number 175209
New Orleans
1853-1952 FHL computer number 216594
Lists and indexes for Charleston, Galveston, Key West, New Bedford, Passamaquoddy, Portland Maine, Providence, San Francisco, Seattle, and other ports can be found at the Family History Library and the National Archives.
There are also CD-Roms that index arrivals 1820-1850. See the list of CDs on the right hand navigation bar of http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/
There are various hard copies (books) of indexes and lists, and I will discuss those at another time. There is also the online Ellis Island Database 1892-1924. The best way to search it is through the One-Step Search Engines at http://stevemorse.org/
There are many online lists and to start your Internet search for ships' passenger lists, begin at The Olive Tree Genealogy Ships Section
Ships to USA start at Index to USA Ships Once on this page you can choose by state, or by year of arrival.
If your ancestor arrived after 1819, he may be listed in any of the following
Customs Passenger lists begin in 1820. A passenger list will usually provide you with name, age, sex, occupation, country of origin, port of departure, destination, date of arrival and name of the ship.
Immigration Lists (Ships' Manifests) after 1883 give more detailed information.
The National Archives has the customs and immigration passenger lists and indexes from 1820 to the 1950s. You can request a search of the records at the National Archives http://www.nara.gov/ with form NATF 81. You must submit one form each person or family group traveling together. You can obtain the NATF Form 81 by providing your name and mailing address to inquire@nara.gov. Specify "Form 81" and the number of forms you need.
The Family History Library in Salt Lake City has microfilmed copies of passenger arrival records and indexes from the National Archives. If you find your ancestors in any of the indexes you should then consult the original passenger lists.
Indexes for which are microfilmed and available through your local FHC are:
New York
1820-1846 FHL computer number 15681
1897-1902 FHL computer number 92040
1902-1943 FHL computer number 92040
Boston
1848-1891 FHL computer number 217426
1899-1940 FHL computer number 92077
Baltimore
1820-1897 FHL computer number 218234
1897-1952 FHL computer number 175219
1833-1866 FHL computer number 175226
Philadelphia
1800-1906 FHL computer number 216604
1883-1948 FHL computer number 175209
New Orleans
1853-1952 FHL computer number 216594
Lists and indexes for Charleston, Galveston, Key West, New Bedford, Passamaquoddy, Portland Maine, Providence, San Francisco, Seattle, and other ports can be found at the Family History Library and the National Archives.
There are also CD-Roms that index arrivals 1820-1850. See the list of CDs on the right hand navigation bar of http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/
There are various hard copies (books) of indexes and lists, and I will discuss those at another time. There is also the online Ellis Island Database 1892-1924. The best way to search it is through the One-Step Search Engines at http://stevemorse.org/
There are many online lists and to start your Internet search for ships' passenger lists, begin at The Olive Tree Genealogy Ships Section
Ships to USA start at Index to USA Ships Once on this page you can choose by state, or by year of arrival.
June 12, 2003
Ships Passenger Lists to Canada Before 1865
There are no comprehensive lists of immigrants arriving in Canada prior to 1865. Until that year, shipping companies were not required by the government to keep their passenger manifests.
If your ancestor arrived from the UK you may find him/her in lists pertaining to British-subsidized immigration schemes for the period 1817-1831.
You might also find an ancestor in correspondence of the Secretary of State on immigration for 1817-1857. There are lists of immigrants, mainly Irish, and entry books re immigration, and assisted emigration to British North America.
These must be ordered offline.
There are passenger lists to Canada before 1865 on The Olive Tree Genealogy.
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/tocanp01.shtml
There are also some passenger lists which were kept by shipping agents in the originating country. For example, the Passenger Books of J & J Cooke, Shipping Agents gives sailings from Londonderry to Philadelphia PA, Quebec, and St. John New Brunswick from 1847 to 1871.
Olive Tree has some passenger lists from these records online, and will be adding more as time permits. For an index of clickable links to those JJ Cooke passenger lists online to date, see
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/jjcooke.shtml
There are also the William McCorkell & Co. lists beginning in 1863 and ending in 1871.
The Hawke Papers, letterbooks of Chief Emigrant Agent Anthony B. Hawke are also available. They cover the years 1831 to 1892.
Details on these (where they are, how to get them) can be found in "Immigration to Canada before 1865" at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/articles/immcanpre1865.shtml
You can also search the online database at http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/db/hawke.htm
You might also want to join the mailing list for immigration to Canada before 1865. You can sub from the URL above.
If you want to search online, you may have limited success because only a very small percentage of ships to Canada have been transcribed and put online.
However here is a custom search engine I recommend to make your search time more efficient (and hopefully more successful!)It searches dozens of websites at once.
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/search_shipscanada.shtml
You can also check out the pages for ships passenger lists to the following parts of Canada:
Ships Passenger Lists to Quebec
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/qu_ships.shtml
Ships Passenger Lists to New Brunswick
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/nb_ships.shtml
Ships Passenger Lists to Nova Scotia
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/ns_ships.shtml
If your ancestor arrived from the UK you may find him/her in lists pertaining to British-subsidized immigration schemes for the period 1817-1831.
You might also find an ancestor in correspondence of the Secretary of State on immigration for 1817-1857. There are lists of immigrants, mainly Irish, and entry books re immigration, and assisted emigration to British North America.
These must be ordered offline.
There are passenger lists to Canada before 1865 on The Olive Tree Genealogy.
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/tocanp01.shtml
There are also some passenger lists which were kept by shipping agents in the originating country. For example, the Passenger Books of J & J Cooke, Shipping Agents gives sailings from Londonderry to Philadelphia PA, Quebec, and St. John New Brunswick from 1847 to 1871.
Olive Tree has some passenger lists from these records online, and will be adding more as time permits. For an index of clickable links to those JJ Cooke passenger lists online to date, see
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/jjcooke.shtml
There are also the William McCorkell & Co. lists beginning in 1863 and ending in 1871.
The Hawke Papers, letterbooks of Chief Emigrant Agent Anthony B. Hawke are also available. They cover the years 1831 to 1892.
Details on these (where they are, how to get them) can be found in "Immigration to Canada before 1865" at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/articles/immcanpre1865.shtml
You can also search the online database at http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/db/hawke.htm
You might also want to join the mailing list for immigration to Canada before 1865. You can sub from the URL above.
If you want to search online, you may have limited success because only a very small percentage of ships to Canada have been transcribed and put online.
However here is a custom search engine I recommend to make your search time more efficient (and hopefully more successful!)It searches dozens of websites at once.
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/search_shipscanada.shtml
You can also check out the pages for ships passenger lists to the following parts of Canada:
Ships Passenger Lists to Quebec
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/qu_ships.shtml
Ships Passenger Lists to New Brunswick
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/nb_ships.shtml
Ships Passenger Lists to Nova Scotia
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/ns_ships.shtml
June 9, 2003
Naturalization & Citizenship Records in Canada: What's Available
© Lorine McGinnis Schulze
The Canadian Citizenship Act began on 1 January 1947. From 1763 to that date, people born in the provinces and colonies of British North America were all British subjects. Thus immigrants from Great Britain and the Commonwealth did not have to be naturalized.
Before 1854
A few naturalization registers exist for Upper Canada (Ontario), for the years 1828-1850 only. A nominal card index is available at the National Archives of Canada. You can request a search by sending a written inquiry to http://www.archives.ca/02/020209_e.html
1854 to the present
Citizenship and Immigration Canada holds records of naturalization and citizenship from 1854. The originals of records dated between 1854 and 1917 have been destroyed. However a nominal card index survives. It provides information compiled at the time of naturalization, such as present and former place of residence, former nationality, occupation, date of certification, name and location of the responsible court. The index rarely contains any other genealogical information.
Records created after 1917 are more detailed, indicating the surname, given name, date and place of birth, entry into Canada, and in some cases, the names of spouses and children.
Requests for copies of naturalization/citizenship records should be mailed to:
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Public Rights Administration
360 Laurier Ave West
10th Floor
OTTAWA ON K1A 1L1
You must be a Canadian citizen or an individual present in Canada. Each application for copies must be submitted on an Access to Information Request Form available from most Canadian public libraries and federal government offices. The cost is $5.00, payable to the Receiver General for Canada.
You must enclose a signed consent from the person concerned or proof that he/she has been deceased twenty years. Proof of death can be a copy of a death record, a newspaper obituary or a photograph of the gravestone showing name and death date.
You must include the following information: full name, date and place of birth, and if possible, the number of the Canadian citizenship or naturalization certificate.
For help finding your ancestors' Canadian Naturalization Records see http://naturalizationrecords.com/
To search for Ships to Canada see http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/tocanp01.shtml
*******************************************************
Permission to copy and reproduce
© Lorine McGinnis Schulze
The Olive Tree Genealogy http://olivetreegenealogy.com/index.shtml
Article may be copied as long as identifying information and link to website is left intact
*******************************************************
The Canadian Citizenship Act began on 1 January 1947. From 1763 to that date, people born in the provinces and colonies of British North America were all British subjects. Thus immigrants from Great Britain and the Commonwealth did not have to be naturalized.
Before 1854
A few naturalization registers exist for Upper Canada (Ontario), for the years 1828-1850 only. A nominal card index is available at the National Archives of Canada. You can request a search by sending a written inquiry to http://www.archives.ca/02/020209_e.html
1854 to the present
Citizenship and Immigration Canada holds records of naturalization and citizenship from 1854. The originals of records dated between 1854 and 1917 have been destroyed. However a nominal card index survives. It provides information compiled at the time of naturalization, such as present and former place of residence, former nationality, occupation, date of certification, name and location of the responsible court. The index rarely contains any other genealogical information.
Records created after 1917 are more detailed, indicating the surname, given name, date and place of birth, entry into Canada, and in some cases, the names of spouses and children.
Requests for copies of naturalization/citizenship records should be mailed to:
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Public Rights Administration
360 Laurier Ave West
10th Floor
OTTAWA ON K1A 1L1
You must be a Canadian citizen or an individual present in Canada. Each application for copies must be submitted on an Access to Information Request Form available from most Canadian public libraries and federal government offices. The cost is $5.00, payable to the Receiver General for Canada.
You must enclose a signed consent from the person concerned or proof that he/she has been deceased twenty years. Proof of death can be a copy of a death record, a newspaper obituary or a photograph of the gravestone showing name and death date.
You must include the following information: full name, date and place of birth, and if possible, the number of the Canadian citizenship or naturalization certificate.
For help finding your ancestors' Canadian Naturalization Records see http://naturalizationrecords.com/
To search for Ships to Canada see http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/tocanp01.shtml
*******************************************************
Permission to copy and reproduce
© Lorine McGinnis Schulze
The Olive Tree Genealogy http://olivetreegenealogy.com/index.shtml
Article may be copied as long as identifying information and link to website is left intact
*******************************************************
May 29, 2003
Home Children - English Immigration to Canada
Between 1869 and the early 1930s, over 100,000 children were sent to Canada from Great Britain during the child emigration movement
NAC (National Archives of Canada) has indexed the names of these Home Children found in passenger lists at NAC, and there is a searchable database at
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/02/020110_e.html
Be forewarned though that not all years have been completed, so a negative result does not mean your ancestor isn't there. As NAC completes the indexing, you may find the name you want.
If you find a name of interest, you can contact Barnardo's for the records. They can be reached at
aftercare@barnardos.org.uk
And of course you can order the microfilm to view the passenger list for yourself..
Have you visited Marj Kholi's "Young Immigrants to Canada" website?
http://www.ist.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/homeadd.html
http://www.ist.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/children/Organizations/societies.html
http://www.ist.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/children/Organizations/barnardo.html
See also the link to "Barnardo After Care" on Marj's website.
For ships to Canada in general you may also want to consult PASSENGER LISTS & IMMIGRATION at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/can/ont/pass.shtml
NAC (National Archives of Canada) has indexed the names of these Home Children found in passenger lists at NAC, and there is a searchable database at
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/02/020110_e.html
Be forewarned though that not all years have been completed, so a negative result does not mean your ancestor isn't there. As NAC completes the indexing, you may find the name you want.
If you find a name of interest, you can contact Barnardo's for the records. They can be reached at
aftercare@barnardos.org.uk
And of course you can order the microfilm to view the passenger list for yourself..
Have you visited Marj Kholi's "Young Immigrants to Canada" website?
http://www.ist.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/homeadd.html
http://www.ist.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/children/Organizations/societies.html
http://www.ist.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/children/Organizations/barnardo.html
See also the link to "Barnardo After Care" on Marj's website.
For ships to Canada in general you may also want to consult PASSENGER LISTS & IMMIGRATION at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/can/ont/pass.shtml
April 21, 2003
Special Passports 1829-1894
Special passports were issued to US diplomatic and consular officers, military attaches, secretaries of legations, and other government officers and their families.
NaturalizationRecords.com brings you an Index to Special Passports for the USA 1829-1887. This is for all states.
http://naturalizationrecords.com/usa/passports1829-87a.shtml
Remember this is an index to the records -- details are given online for obtaining the full record for any person you find of interest.
Also online is the companion project, Index to Special Passports for the USA 1887-1894 at
http://naturalizationrecords.com/usa/passports1887-94a.shtml
If you enjoy these free records, please tell others about them.
NaturalizationRecords.com brings you an Index to Special Passports for the USA 1829-1887. This is for all states.
http://naturalizationrecords.com/usa/passports1829-87a.shtml
Remember this is an index to the records -- details are given online for obtaining the full record for any person you find of interest.
Also online is the companion project, Index to Special Passports for the USA 1887-1894 at
http://naturalizationrecords.com/usa/passports1887-94a.shtml
If you enjoy these free records, please tell others about them.
March 15, 2003
New York Times Ships Arrivals Extracts of Passenger Names 1851-1929
Thanks to volunteer transcriber Diane McClay, Olive Tree Genealogy has a new database online.
Diane is extracting and transcribing passenger names found in Notices of Arrivals, Departures and in Miscellaneous Articles in the New York Times
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ships/nytimes.htm
This project will transcribe names of passengers found in announcements and articles in the New York Times. There will be brief summaries of each ship arriving or leaving New York. If names of passengers were found, there will be a clickable link to take you directly to that list of names. This is an ongoing project, check back often to see what has been added.
If the date of arrival is known, you can read the arrival report in a New York newspaper. The New York Times is available at many libraries (publication began in September, 1851).
You can also search the NY Times online for a fee. Search 1857-1880 or 1881-1906 from the URL above.
Diane is extracting and transcribing passenger names found in Notices of Arrivals, Departures and in Miscellaneous Articles in the New York Times
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ships/nytimes.htm
This project will transcribe names of passengers found in announcements and articles in the New York Times. There will be brief summaries of each ship arriving or leaving New York. If names of passengers were found, there will be a clickable link to take you directly to that list of names. This is an ongoing project, check back often to see what has been added.
If the date of arrival is known, you can read the arrival report in a New York newspaper. The New York Times is available at many libraries (publication began in September, 1851).
You can also search the NY Times online for a fee. Search 1857-1880 or 1881-1906 from the URL above.
March 12, 2003
Ships Passenger Lists to Canada After 1865
Unfortunately the records of ships passenger lists to Canada before 1925 are not indexed. To find a passenger you will need to know an exact date of arrival.
There is no easy way to search Canadian arrival records for this unindexed period other than reading microfilm
The National Archives of Canada (NAC) holds immigration records from 1865 to 1935.
Ships are on the reel, in order of arrival. You can borrow this reel on Inter Library Loan [ILL]. You can find the details at this URL
http://www.genealogy.gc.ca/10/1008_e.html
You are also able to ILL free of charge, from Ottawa, to libraries in the US, and outside North America. The NAC will allow your Library to borrow up to six microfilms on your behalf, per request.
If you want to order filmed passenger lists (remember they aren't indexed!), a list of NAC microfilm numbers for passenger lists to Canada 1865-1922 can be found at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/filmnos_can1865.shtml
If you want to try your luck searching transcribed ships passenger lists online, passenger lists for Ships to Canada after 1865 are freely available at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/tocanp05.shtml
There are search engines to search online free databases on multiple websites for ships to Canada at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/search_shipscanada.shtml
There is no easy way to search Canadian arrival records for this unindexed period other than reading microfilm
The National Archives of Canada (NAC) holds immigration records from 1865 to 1935.
Ships are on the reel, in order of arrival. You can borrow this reel on Inter Library Loan [ILL]. You can find the details at this URL
http://www.genealogy.gc.ca/10/1008_e.html
You are also able to ILL free of charge, from Ottawa, to libraries in the US, and outside North America. The NAC will allow your Library to borrow up to six microfilms on your behalf, per request.
If you want to order filmed passenger lists (remember they aren't indexed!), a list of NAC microfilm numbers for passenger lists to Canada 1865-1922 can be found at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/filmnos_can1865.shtml
If you want to try your luck searching transcribed ships passenger lists online, passenger lists for Ships to Canada after 1865 are freely available at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/tocanp05.shtml
There are search engines to search online free databases on multiple websites for ships to Canada at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/search_shipscanada.shtml
March 4, 2003
Understanding Patronymics
DUTCH PATRONYMICS OF THE 1600s
© Lorine McGinnis Schulze
The Dutch were much slower than the English in adopting surnames as we know them. Patronymics ended theoretically under English rule in 1687 with the advent of surnames, but not everyone followed the new guidelines. In the Netherlands, patron ymics ended mostly (especially Friesland) during the Napoleantic period around 1811 when everyone had to register and select a family name.
The most common Dutch naming custom was that of patronymics, or identification of an individual based on the father's name. For example, Jan Albertszen is named after his father, Albert. Albertszen means son of a man named Albert. The patronymic was formed by adding -se, -sen, or -szen. Daughters would very often have the ending -x or -dr. added. For example, Geesjie Barentsdr. (Barentsdochter) is named after her father Barent.
An individual could also be known by his place of origin. For example, Cornelis Antoniszen, my 9th great- grandfather, was known in some records as 'van Breuckelen', meaning 'from Breuckelen' (Breuckelen being a town in the Netherlands). The place-origin name could be a nationality, as in the case of Albert Andriessen from Norway and my 9th great-grandpa, originator of the Bradt and Vanderzee families - he is entered in many records as Albert Andriessen de Noorman, meaning the Norseman.
Thus we see naming differences over the generations: Albert's sons and daughters took the surname BRADT except for his son Storm, born on the Atlantic Ocean during the family's sailing to the New World. Storm adopted the surname Van Der Zee (from the sea) and this is the name his descendants carry.
An individual might be known by a personal characteristic: e.g. Vrooman means a pious or wise man;Krom means bent or crippled; De Witt means the white one. The most fascinating one I've seen is that of Pieter Adrianszen (Peter, s/o Adrian) who was giv en the nickname of Soo Gemackelyck (so easy-going) but was also known as Pieter Van Waggelen/Van Woggelum - his children adopted the surnames Mackelyck and Woglom.
Sometimes an occupation became the surname. Smit=Smith; Schenck= cupbearer, Metsalaer= mason. An individual might be known by many different 'surnames' and entered in official records under these different names, making research difficult unless you're aware of the names in use. For example, my Cornelis Antoniszen Van Slyke mentioned above, was known and written of under the following names:
Cornelis Antoniszen
Cornelis Teuniszen (Teunis being the diminuitive of Antony)
Cornelis Antoniszen/Teuniszen van Breuckelen
Cornelis Antoniszen/Teuniszen Van Slicht (this is how he signed his name and might have been a hereditary family name based on an old place of origin)
Broer Cornelis (name given him by Mohawks)
Remember that there are tremendous variations in spelling of these names, and changes from Dutch to to English record keeping in the New World affected the spelling even more.
Another thing to look for in searching the early records is to be aware of the different ways names might be pronounced in different areas, or how clerks might write them down. For example, a boy might be registered as Jan "Kiek in 't Veld", and his father would sign with "Kijk in het Veld". "Kiek in't Veld" is how it is said in the eastern dialect, "Kijk in het Veld" is how it is said in proper Dutch. The father could write down it properly, but he couldn't say it properly. The clerk at that time may have come from the West and just wrote down what he heard without translating it. If you were searching such a family, you would have to look for both lines.
You also have to be aware of the diminuitives of regular first names, because the patronymic might be formed from the normal name or its diminuitive. For example:
Antonis=Theunis/Teunis (patronymic of Antonisz or Theunisz)
Matthys=Thys/Tice (patronymic of Thyssen)
Harmanus=Harman or Manus
Jacobus=Cobus
Nicolas=Claes (patronymic of Claessen)
Denys=Nys (patronymic of Dennysen or Nyssen)
Bartolomeus=Bartol or Meese/Meus (patronymic of Meesen)
Cornelis=Krelis
For more help with Dutch words, church records and patronymics see http://olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/ This also includes records for New York State in the 1600s
There's more to Dutch naming systems of the 1600s than this, and two articles that are excellent are:
Dutch Systems in Family Naming New York-New Jersey by Rosalie Fellows Bailey in Genealogical Publications of the NGS May 1954 No. 12,
New Netherland Naming Systems and Customs, by Kenn Stryker-Rodda, published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, volume 126, number 1, January 1995, pages 35-45.
NOTE: A footnote states that the text is a talk that Dr. Stryker-Rodda gave at the World Conference on Records and Genealogical Seminar held in Salt Lake City 5-8 August 1969, and it was originally published in the papers of that Conference, Area 1-27. The original talk was copyrighted in 1969 by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Permission granted to distribute this article as long as nothing is changed, and all identifying information and URLs remain. Be sure to include the following footer:
********************************************************
Article by Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy at http://olivetreegenealogy.com/
********************************************************
© Lorine McGinnis Schulze
The Dutch were much slower than the English in adopting surnames as we know them. Patronymics ended theoretically under English rule in 1687 with the advent of surnames, but not everyone followed the new guidelines. In the Netherlands, patron ymics ended mostly (especially Friesland) during the Napoleantic period around 1811 when everyone had to register and select a family name.
The most common Dutch naming custom was that of patronymics, or identification of an individual based on the father's name. For example, Jan Albertszen is named after his father, Albert. Albertszen means son of a man named Albert. The patronymic was formed by adding -se, -sen, or -szen. Daughters would very often have the ending -x or -dr. added. For example, Geesjie Barentsdr. (Barentsdochter) is named after her father Barent.
An individual could also be known by his place of origin. For example, Cornelis Antoniszen, my 9th great- grandfather, was known in some records as 'van Breuckelen', meaning 'from Breuckelen' (Breuckelen being a town in the Netherlands). The place-origin name could be a nationality, as in the case of Albert Andriessen from Norway and my 9th great-grandpa, originator of the Bradt and Vanderzee families - he is entered in many records as Albert Andriessen de Noorman, meaning the Norseman.
Thus we see naming differences over the generations: Albert's sons and daughters took the surname BRADT except for his son Storm, born on the Atlantic Ocean during the family's sailing to the New World. Storm adopted the surname Van Der Zee (from the sea) and this is the name his descendants carry.
An individual might be known by a personal characteristic: e.g. Vrooman means a pious or wise man;Krom means bent or crippled; De Witt means the white one. The most fascinating one I've seen is that of Pieter Adrianszen (Peter, s/o Adrian) who was giv en the nickname of Soo Gemackelyck (so easy-going) but was also known as Pieter Van Waggelen/Van Woggelum - his children adopted the surnames Mackelyck and Woglom.
Sometimes an occupation became the surname. Smit=Smith; Schenck= cupbearer, Metsalaer= mason. An individual might be known by many different 'surnames' and entered in official records under these different names, making research difficult unless you're aware of the names in use. For example, my Cornelis Antoniszen Van Slyke mentioned above, was known and written of under the following names:
Cornelis Antoniszen
Cornelis Teuniszen (Teunis being the diminuitive of Antony)
Cornelis Antoniszen/Teuniszen van Breuckelen
Cornelis Antoniszen/Teuniszen Van Slicht (this is how he signed his name and might have been a hereditary family name based on an old place of origin)
Broer Cornelis (name given him by Mohawks)
Remember that there are tremendous variations in spelling of these names, and changes from Dutch to to English record keeping in the New World affected the spelling even more.
Another thing to look for in searching the early records is to be aware of the different ways names might be pronounced in different areas, or how clerks might write them down. For example, a boy might be registered as Jan "Kiek in 't Veld", and his father would sign with "Kijk in het Veld". "Kiek in't Veld" is how it is said in the eastern dialect, "Kijk in het Veld" is how it is said in proper Dutch. The father could write down it properly, but he couldn't say it properly. The clerk at that time may have come from the West and just wrote down what he heard without translating it. If you were searching such a family, you would have to look for both lines.
You also have to be aware of the diminuitives of regular first names, because the patronymic might be formed from the normal name or its diminuitive. For example:
Antonis=Theunis/Teunis (patronymic of Antonisz or Theunisz)
Matthys=Thys/Tice (patronymic of Thyssen)
Harmanus=Harman or Manus
Jacobus=Cobus
Nicolas=Claes (patronymic of Claessen)
Denys=Nys (patronymic of Dennysen or Nyssen)
Bartolomeus=Bartol or Meese/Meus (patronymic of Meesen)
Cornelis=Krelis
For more help with Dutch words, church records and patronymics see http://olivetreegenealogy.com/nn/ This also includes records for New York State in the 1600s
There's more to Dutch naming systems of the 1600s than this, and two articles that are excellent are:
Dutch Systems in Family Naming New York-New Jersey by Rosalie Fellows Bailey in Genealogical Publications of the NGS May 1954 No. 12,
New Netherland Naming Systems and Customs, by Kenn Stryker-Rodda, published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, volume 126, number 1, January 1995, pages 35-45.
NOTE: A footnote states that the text is a talk that Dr. Stryker-Rodda gave at the World Conference on Records and Genealogical Seminar held in Salt Lake City 5-8 August 1969, and it was originally published in the papers of that Conference, Area 1-27. The original talk was copyrighted in 1969 by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Permission granted to distribute this article as long as nothing is changed, and all identifying information and URLs remain. Be sure to include the following footer:
********************************************************
Article by Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy at http://olivetreegenealogy.com/
********************************************************
February 9, 2003
Alms House Admission Records, New York City, NY 1855-1858
In the early 1800's port cities in the USA bore the burden of immigration. By the time they arrived, so many immigrants were tired, hungry and poor they ended up in the City Almshouse.
I've transcribed more records from the Alms House Admission Foreigners & Nativity Records ( New York City, NY)
These records apply to immigrants to Quebec, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Boston.
These records are from the years 1855 to 1858 and include the name of the ship each person sailed on (if they remembered it), the date they arrived, the ports of departure and arrival,their age, their place of origin and more.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ships/ny_alms1855.htm
I'm transcribing the records as best I can but the originals were only in fair shape, and some of the writing is almost illegible. They are in a very cramped hand, it seems the clerks had little room to make their entries in these ledger books, and some of the writing is so tiny that it is difficult if not impossible to read!
Here is an example of the kinds of information found in the Almshouse records:
In Mar 1856 John Coleman, age 15, single, from Ireland applied for relief. He told the clerk of the Almshouse that sailed from Liverpool on the Ship Ontario, arriving on 19 Dec. 1855 in New York. He didn't know the Captain's name, and had no one to vouch for him from New York City.
It was his first time 'on the island" (meaning applying for relief). He was discharged in April 1856. A search of Ancestry.com's New York Passenger Lists 1851-1891 did turn up the Ship Ontario arriving New York City on 30 December 1855, no John Coleman listed, but some of the passenger names were illegible. Was John on board? Probably, although he may have been a stowaway and not on the passenger list
Sometimes comments were added in the column for death or discharge dates. For example, poor Bridget Connor applied for relief on Apr 30, 1855. Bridget, 26, a spinster from Ireland told the clerk she sailed "about 20 months ago" from Tralee to Quebec.
Bridget gave her ship name as Payoo or Payne, Captain O'Donohan commanding. This was her third time on the island,and the clerk recorded "Stupid" beside her discharge date of 16 Jan. '57 (If you find an ancestor with such a notation, or "insane" as I have also seen, don't be alarmed - sometimes not knowing how to add was enough to be labelled as "stupid"!)
One poor man was noted as having run off and eloped to Quebec!
There are many entries for individuals sailing to Quebec and Montreal, mainly from Ireland, so if you are looking for an elusive ancestor arriving in Canada in the time period 1850-1858 you will want to check these records.
The ports of arrival so far are New York, New Orleans,Quebec, Montreal, Philadelphia and Boston.
Places of origin are Ireland, England, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland, with the majority being Irish
For New York arrivals, this is a wonderful addition to help with those UNindexed years.
The index to the records can be found at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ships/ny_alms1855.htm
This set of records adds to the existing records I have already transcribed and put online for the NYC Almshouse for 1819-1822(with 1823 to 1840 to follow) starting at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/ny_alms1819.shtml
I hope you enjoy this set of records; it's great fun reading and transcribing these wonderful entries!
I've transcribed more records from the Alms House Admission Foreigners & Nativity Records ( New York City, NY)
These records apply to immigrants to Quebec, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Boston.
These records are from the years 1855 to 1858 and include the name of the ship each person sailed on (if they remembered it), the date they arrived, the ports of departure and arrival,their age, their place of origin and more.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ships/ny_alms1855.htm
I'm transcribing the records as best I can but the originals were only in fair shape, and some of the writing is almost illegible. They are in a very cramped hand, it seems the clerks had little room to make their entries in these ledger books, and some of the writing is so tiny that it is difficult if not impossible to read!
Here is an example of the kinds of information found in the Almshouse records:
In Mar 1856 John Coleman, age 15, single, from Ireland applied for relief. He told the clerk of the Almshouse that sailed from Liverpool on the Ship Ontario, arriving on 19 Dec. 1855 in New York. He didn't know the Captain's name, and had no one to vouch for him from New York City.
It was his first time 'on the island" (meaning applying for relief). He was discharged in April 1856. A search of Ancestry.com's New York Passenger Lists 1851-1891 did turn up the Ship Ontario arriving New York City on 30 December 1855, no John Coleman listed, but some of the passenger names were illegible. Was John on board? Probably, although he may have been a stowaway and not on the passenger list
Sometimes comments were added in the column for death or discharge dates. For example, poor Bridget Connor applied for relief on Apr 30, 1855. Bridget, 26, a spinster from Ireland told the clerk she sailed "about 20 months ago" from Tralee to Quebec.
Bridget gave her ship name as Payoo or Payne, Captain O'Donohan commanding. This was her third time on the island,and the clerk recorded "Stupid" beside her discharge date of 16 Jan. '57 (If you find an ancestor with such a notation, or "insane" as I have also seen, don't be alarmed - sometimes not knowing how to add was enough to be labelled as "stupid"!)
One poor man was noted as having run off and eloped to Quebec!
There are many entries for individuals sailing to Quebec and Montreal, mainly from Ireland, so if you are looking for an elusive ancestor arriving in Canada in the time period 1850-1858 you will want to check these records.
The ports of arrival so far are New York, New Orleans,Quebec, Montreal, Philadelphia and Boston.
Places of origin are Ireland, England, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland, with the majority being Irish
For New York arrivals, this is a wonderful addition to help with those UNindexed years.
The index to the records can be found at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ships/ny_alms1855.htm
This set of records adds to the existing records I have already transcribed and put online for the NYC Almshouse for 1819-1822(with 1823 to 1840 to follow) starting at
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/ny_alms1819.shtml
I hope you enjoy this set of records; it's great fun reading and transcribing these wonderful entries!
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